Patent GB-699179-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing machines
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1950-05-16
Abstract: 699,179. Addressing or like machines; printing- surfaces. ADDRESSOGRAPH-MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. May 16, 1950 [May 31, 1949], No. 12179/50. Class 100(ii) [Also in Group XIX] In a printing machine of. the type wherein printing devices each equipped to have control data physically represented thereon at one or more positions are adapted to be passed one by one from a supply magazine to a sensing station at which the physical representations of control data are sensed, the printing devices are passed to subsequent stations at one of which a printing mechanism either does or does not print from the individual printing device, depending upon the result of the previous sensing of this printing device at the sensing station, and a recording mechanism is positioned at another one of said subsequent stations and is adapted under the control of the sensing results obtained at the sensing station to produce another control data representation on each printing device from which the printing mechanism prints. General operation. - Printing and control devices D, Fig. 8, are fed in succession from a magazine M, Fig. 1, along a guide channel 71 to a sensing station II beneath a sensing head 200, Figs. 11 and 12A, a first recording station III where a perforation may be made in a control card on the device D, and a transfer station III-T. The devices are then fed along a channel 72 to a second recording station IV where either or both of two tabs 66, Figs. 3 and 24, on the devices may be shifted to an alternative position, idle stations V and VI, and thence along a channel 73 to a printing station VI where printing from a plate 51 on the device may be perforated on a mailing strip S fed intermittently past the printing station, or on individual sheets by means of a platen roller PR reciprocable on a carriage C. The carriage moves forward while the roller is lowered into contact with the sheet, and then backwards through a printing stroke, at the end of which the roller is raised. At this station two numbering machines N-1, N-2, Figs. 28 and 30, are provided which can be raised into co-operation with the platen roller so as to print a number on a device D in position at the station. The devices D are then fed into vertical position at an idle station VIII, and thereafter along a channel 74 to a culling station IX where devices which are to be withdrawn from circulation can be collected on a culling run of the machine in a drawer K-1, and thence to collecting stations X, XI where the devices are selectively collected in drawers, K-2, K-3. The drawers have indicating lights L-1, L-2, L-3. A drive sprocket 83, Fig. 28, is continuously rotated by an electric motor 84, Fig. 38, through a speed reducer, and is clutched to a main shaft 80 by a one-revolution main clutch 91 normally disengaged by a lever which is released when a solenoid 91M is energized. The feeding mechanism for the devices D is operated by a rock shaft 100, Figs. 8 and 12A, driven from shaft 80 through a clutch which is normally engaged, and released when a solenoid 92M is energized. The platen is operated through a clutch controlled by two levers 93-S-1 93-S-2 (not shown). The clutch is normally held open by lever 93-S-2, which is released by means of an arm 105, Fig. 11. When the machine is set for manual operation, the clutch is opened by lever 93-S-1 actuated by a solenoid 93M. The devices D are fed along channels 71, 72, 73 by carrier bars 71C, 72C, 73C reciprocated from the shaft 100, and along channel 74 by pawls 154, Fig. 19, pivoted on a pawl carrier 153 reciprocated also from the shaft 100. The devices D are prevented from falling into drawers K-1, K-2, K-3 by gates G-1, G-2, G-3. The gate G-1 is opened when solenoid SOL-12 is energized on a culling run. Gates G-2, G-3 are connected by springs 165-2, 165-3 to a slide 163 which is spring-urged forwards and moved back during each cycle by a cam on the pawl carrier 153, so that both gates tend to open. A shaft 166 is rockable to one of two positions, in one of which gate G-2 is prevented from opening by an arm 167. Printing surfaces.-Each device D, Fig. 3, comprises a frame 50 carrying a printing plate 51 having lines of embossed type thereon, an index card 53C, and control cards 61, 62, 63 affording respectively ninety-six, eight, and ninety-six index positions at any of which control perforations can be effected, the frame 50 being perforated at all such points. The device D also carries one or more tabs 65 which may be disposed in any of several positions along the upper edge, and two pivoted tabs 66 each capable of being moved between two positions. The control cards 61, 63 are each divided into three sections each having four columns of eight index points representing months and sums of money, each section being concerned with one particular half-year. The control card 62 is concerned with the number of orders already had by a customer, to whom the device is allocated, during the present season, and other particulars affecting the customer's status. A notch N is provided to locate the device in the machine. Sensing operation.-The sensing head 200, Figs. 11 and 12A, is pivoted to the machine frame and is moved downwards through a sensing stroke by the shaft 100, which during each cycle causes a sleeve 306 rotatable thereon to rotate 60 degrees, by means of a pawl 309, and a cam 305 on the sleeve acts on a roller on a link 300 to operate the sensing head. When the sensing head is lowered, pins 220 come against the control cards 61, 62, 63 and where there are perforations therein, the pins force down plungers carried in a stationary guide frame, and any plunger actuated touches a contact and connects it electrically to the machine frame. Similar pins are used to sense the presence of tabs 65 or 66, the pins being inserted in position to sense the required tabs. When a tab is sensed, a rocker 245 pivoted to the sensing head is rocked to actuate a selector switch 265. When a tab 65 is sensed in one of two particular positions, a special long pin causes an arm 268-2 to rock and close a switch S-13 and a similar arm 268-1 to close a switch S-12, respectively. Storage drums.-Storage drums 315A, 315B each with six pins 318A, 318B, Fig. 11, are mounted on sleeve 306 and are thus rotated through 60 degree indexing movements, each position of the pins corresponding to the machine stations I-VI. Drums 315C, 315D, each with twelve pins 318C, 318D, Fig. 12A, are mounted on a sleeve rotatable on a shaft 320, and are rotated through 30 degree indexing movements by means of links 140L, 328, arm 324 on shaft 320, pawl 325 and ratchet 322 on the sleeve, eleven of the positions of the pins each corresponding to one of the eleven machine stations. Pins are actuated to set-up position on the four drums by solenoids SOL-2, SOL-3, SOL-4, SOL-5 respectively, which act on pins at the setting- up position II in response to operation of the sensing mechanism. Punching mechanism.-A punch 355 is removably supported in an arm 352 on a rock shaft 351, and makes a perforation in the control card 62 of a device D at station III when the shaft 351 is rocked by a set-up pin 318A through lever 361 and link 360, Fig. 11. If no perforation is to be made, the punch is removed. Tab shift mechanism.-An operating link 365, Fig. 24, is reciprocated by a rocker 276 during each machine cycle, and is normally in the ineffective dotted line position. The link 365 has two holes 370, one for each tab 66, and pins 371 are placed in the holes according to the tab or tabs to be shifted. The link is swung into active position when a solenoid SOL-6 is energized when a set-up pin 318A closes a switch S-10, Fig. 11, by means of a lever 383 and arm 384. Printing operation.-Printing from a device D at station VII takes place under the control of the sensing operation when a pin 318A, set-up when a selected device D was at sensing station, actuates lever 105, Fig. 11, to allow the platen clutch to close. Numbering machines. - Numbering machines N-1, N-2, Figs. 28 and 30, are normally in inoperative position. The units wheel of N-1 is advanced during each machine cycle by a plunger 410-1 actuated by a rocker 412-1 fast on a shaft 413 associated with a requisite moving part of the machine. The units wheel of N-2 is advanced when a printing operation is performed by a plunger 410-2 actuated by a rocker 412-2 rotatable on the shaft and associated with the printing mechanism. When a total is to be printed from the numbering machines, they are raised into operative position when a solenoid SOL-1 is energized, through a link 406 and rock shaft 402. After printing, a solenoid SOL-11 is energized, releases a latch 420T, and allows a spring 421 to pivot a bellcrank 420, and a rack 416 engaging pinions 415-1, 415-2 on the numbering machines moves forward in a conditioning movement, at the end of which a lug 416L acts on the link 406 to lower the machines to inoperative position. A cam 426 associated with the drive sprocket 83 then acts on a roller 425 to retract the rack and reset the numbering machines. The units wheels are not advanced when N-1, N-2 are raised. The solenoids SOL-1, SOL-11 are energized in succession when switches S-2, S-1 are closed by levers 432, 431 actuated by a pin 318B, which is set up when a Town Marker device is sensed to operate arm 268-1. A Town Marker device follows a group of devices D allocated to one town or district. Culling operation.-When certain devices are to be deposited in drawer K-1, the machine is set for a culling run by a cull control switch 750, and when a device to be deposited is sensed, a pin 318D is set up by energizing the solenoid SOL-5, and this pin later closes a switch S-6 to energize solenoid SOL-12 and open gate G-1. Collecting drawer mechanism.-The drawer K-3 is mounted on a shaft 460, Fig. 41, pivoted at 461 and held in upper position by a pawl 463 engaging a stud 464. The pawl is released